Mother
by JediHanyou
Summary: Stories focusing on Inuyasha's relationship with his mother, Izayoi. These are the tales told by Inuyasha to a certain someone in my AU fic "A Twist in Time"... but they are also valid for the canon universe.
1. The Ball

Insert Standard Disclaimer here 

"The Ball"

The boy sucked on his finger as he crouched behind the horse cart. His bare feet were filthy from exploring the dusty streets of the town all morning. He grinned, remembering how he'd finally managed to elude his mother while she was haggling over the price of a melon in the market square. He could find his own way back home… once he'd had his fun, of course.

His mother told him all the time to not go wandering through the town alone. But she couldn't stop him. She couldn't catch him! But she knew he'd come back home once he got hungry.

A group of men had gathered in the small plaza by the riverside. The boy watched as the group of men stood close together in a circle, facing inward. _What's going on?_

Before his astounded young eyes, the men began passing a ball around the circle, using only their feet. "Wow!" the boy breathed. _They look so calm, so relaxed… it's like the ball just floats between them!_ Already his feet were itching to move; he wanted to be a part of the action.

His mother's words came back to him: _"You must always stay with me when we visit the town. You'll be safe as long as I'm with you, but they might be mean to you if they catch you alone."_

"_Why, Mother?" _he'd asked.

"_Because… you're special," _she said with a sad smile as she kissed his forehead._ "They'll be a little afraid of you because of that. And when people are afraid, they do things they normally wouldn't dream of doing. Understand?"_

"_Yes, Mother."_

"I'm special," he repeated to himself. He drew himself up to his full 80-centimeter height, and steeled himself with a deep breath. _All I have to do is smile… whenever I smile at Mother, she always smiles back, even when she's been crying._

His feet padded softly on the cobblestones as he approached the circle. His eyes stayed focused on the bobbing ball; so intent was he on his goal that he took no notice of the people who milled around him. He didn't hear the whispers of the old hags as he passed them by. He was completely unaware of the mothers who clutched their children protectively before hurrying away with them, like hens protecting their chicks.

In this manner, the plaza was largely cleared before he even got to the circle. He scampered in between two of the men, joining the circle.

One of the men looked at him. Then another, and another. The ball was dropped as the intended receiver's attention lay on the red-robed boy. He smiled up at them. "Can I play?" He stretched out his arms and blinked his golden eyes.

None of the men spoke. Then the one who had dropped the ball picked it up again, and smiled back. The boy didn't yet understand the difference between nice smiles and mean ones.

"Sure you can play, _half-breed_," the man said. He tossed the ball over his shoulder. "Go fetch!"

The boy dashed after the ball as it bounced across the ornate bridge. He caught up to it quickly enough, but even as he turned around to return to the circle, the ball solidly in his grasp, the remaining crowd dispersed. _Is it time to stop playing? _He watched as the last people vanished.

"Inuyasha."

He turned, searching for the face to match his mother's voice. He cast the ball aside as he ran into her arms, silver hair streaming behind.

His mother enfolded him in the softness of her pink kimono. She'd been worried about her son, and had come looking for him. She'd been watching.

Inuyasha snuggled into his mother's warm embrace, the confusion of the past minutes already forgotten. Still, one thing niggled at the back of his mind. His mother had been teaching him how to read and write and speak all sorts of words, but they'd used an unfamiliar one.

He looked up into her gentle face. "Mother… what's a… _hanyou_?"

Izayoi's eyes misted over as she knelt and held her son tight. "Mother? What's wrong?" He could always tell when she was crying; even if he'd been sleeping and she muffled her sobs with her pillow, he would have awoken and come to her bedside.

_I can't tell him… not yet… oh, god, he doesn't deserve to be treated this way._

"Mother?"

_What do I do? He won't understand yet._ "I… I'll tell you when you're a bit older, Inuyasha. Remember how I said there are some things you don't need to know just yet? This is one of those things."

"Oh… ok."

Izayoi held her son and cried, knowing that he would carry that label the rest of his life. _ I have to protect him as long as I can…_


	2. House Call

Insert Standard Disclaimer here 

"House Call"

Inuyasha was sick. He lay on the futon in his bedroom while his mother prepared her centuries-old cold remedy in the kitchen. He could smell it already… it was always disgusting. He didn't understand how his mother could tolerate the smell; try as he might, he couldn't convince her that it _stank_, plain and simple. He sighed. _At least it works… and she'll make me some soba to wash it down with._ His mouth watered at the prospect.

A sharp rapping came at the door. "Coming, coming!" His mother fairly flew out of the kitchen, her arms bare. She wore loose kimonos around town, but around the house tighter-fitting, sleeveless apparel was more practical.

"Oh, good evening, Kurabu-_sensei_! Thank you for coming on such short notice." Inuyasha heard his mother's voice through the curtain that hung in the doorway to the main room.

"Please, it was no trouble at all. I'm pleased to find you well, Izayoi-_hime_, despite your family's misfortune seven years ago. I must admit, when I saw you in the market in town this morning buying my medicinal supplies, I thought I had seen a ghost!" He chuckled. "Why is it that you hide away in this small town? You know that you would be more than welcome in the Imperial court. The Emperor held your father in high esteem, and would gladly take care of you, I'm sure."

"_Sensei_, I am afraid that I would not be welcome in the court."

Izayoi drew aside the curtain to let Kurabu-_sensei_ into Inuyasha's room. Inuyasha sat up a bit, to show respect. He knew that since his mother addressed him as _sensei_, he must be a teacher or doctor.

"Nonsense!" blustered the doctor. "Why, I…" his gaze fell on Inuyasha's ears. "Oh, my." He turned away from the door, tugging Izayoi along with him. "My dear, are you aware that there is a demon in this house?"

"Of course I am," Izayoi responded. "I told you there was someone in my house in need of an examination."

"This is highly irregular…"

"He is my son."

Kurabu's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but made no sound. He snuck a peek around the corner at the resting boy. "Are you sure?"

"I bore him myself. Do you doubt my word?"

"Well, no, but… how could this have happened? Surely your noble father did not permit some ruffian demon to have his way with you?"

"It was my choice, _sensei_. His father rescued me once, in human guise, and I fell in love with him. My father knew the boy's father well enough, though not his true nature. He would not have allowed us to wed in any case; I was already betrothed to another whom I did not love."

"I see." He puffed out his cheeks and looked about warily. "So, what became of the father?"

"He died while protecting us from those who tried to kill us shortly after I gave birth. It was he who named the child Inuyasha," she divulged.

"Dog-demon, then, was he? I suppose that makes some sense. Man's best friend and all that nonsense… hmph." He sighed. "Well, I suppose I do owe you. Your father was always kind to me."

"Thank you, _sensei_."

The doctor entered Inuyasha's room. "Ah, yes… I can see the resemblance now. He has your nose and mouth, Izayoi-_hime_… though I'm quite sure the eyes and ears are courtesy of his father… as are the claws," he added under his breath. Sure enough, Inuyasha's fingernails were becoming sharper, thicker, and sturdier by the day. The previous week, Izayoi had given him a good-sized block of wood to work with; it now sat in the corner, half its original size, in a pile of shavings.

"Hi."

Inuyasha's voice drew the doctor's attention back to his patient. "Hello, young ma… er, Inuyasha. Not feeling too well, are we?"

"I'm ok."

"I've heard _that_ one before… we'll see." He retrieved a lacquered box he'd brought from the main room. He set it next to Inuyasha's futon and opened it, unfolding a complex arrangement of drawers containing his various instruments.

"We'll start with a basic preliminary examination, eh?" He looked to Izayoi for confirmation. She nodded. "Ok, Inuyasha, open your mouth and say, 'Ah'…" He reached the tongue depressor inside Inuyasha's mouth, but it tickled his throat and he bit down. _Hard._

The doctor stared at the stub of bamboo left in his hand. "Sorry, mister." Inuyasha looked as if he could cry.

"That's… ok. Ahem. Let's see those glands, shall we?" He gently rubbed Inuyasha's throat. His patient responded with a series of pained growls. The doctor's hands trembled; he rubbed them together to disguise the movement. "Definitely a throat infection, then. Hmm. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"No," Inuyasha coughed.

Kurabu stood. "Can I please talk to you outside, Izayoi-_hime_?" He rushed out of the room with the still-open box.

"Did I do something wrong, mother?"

"No, Inuyasha. You were a very good boy. Just rest for a bit." She patted his forehead before following the doctor out. She found him already putting on his shoes.

"Done so soon, _sensei_? You took much longer to examine me when I was younger," she chided.

"Izayoi-_hime_, I can't help you. I really have no idea what I'm dealing with here! This demon child…"

"_Half_-demon," she corrected as her eyes narrowed.

"Whatever. I know _human_ medicine. That's all. Here." He thrust a packet of herbs into her hands. "That might bring down the swelling in his neck. I can't be sure, because I've never dealt with a _hanyou_ before!"

Izayoi bowed her head, acknowledging his refusal to proceed further. "I understand. Thank you, Kurabu-_sensei_. I will not keep you further."

He paused at the door. "Other than his throat, he seems in perfectly good health. You've been a good mother to him. I never had any doubts of that."

"_Sensei_, if I might ask a final favor… don't tell anyone I'm here… or about him."

"I never planned to. Consider it done. I never came here… and I won't be back," he added as he strode out the door. "Farewell, Izayoi­_-hime_."

"And you, Kurabu-_sensei_," she responded to his back.

As she drew a deep breath to sigh, a sharp scent entered her nose. _The remedy is done!_ She hurried to remove the boiling concoction from the fire before the pot overflowed. _I'm so glad his father taught this to me… I wish he'd had time to teach me more, but he had to go off to war… and then my pregnancy started showing, and Father ordered me locked away. At least I managed to convince him to let my servants to show me how to perform all the "wifely" duties before he died… and he thought it was for that ridiculous prince he'd arranged for me to marry._ She laughed upon remembering that man's dopey face. _At least I didn't have to marry him… not since I was presumed dead._

She ladled some of the remedy into a bowl, and set a kettle of water over the fire. She placed the remainder of the chicken she'd bought that morning into the kettle. _Inuyasha just loves soba made this way… I really can't figure out why._ She picked up the bowl and brought the remedy to her son.

"Drink it all, Inuyasha."

"It stinks." He wrinkled his nose.

"I know, but you want to get all better, don't you?"

"Yeah," he agreed glumly.

"Then drink up."

"Yes, Mother." He drained the bowl as quick he could, trying to avoid actually tasting it.

Izayoi took the bowl back, and laid him down again. "Now, you just rest, and I'll bring your soba in just a bit."

"Ok."

She bustled back out again. Inuyasha's golden eyes followed her, though his mind lay elsewhere. _The doctor used that word again…_

His mother returned with the soba, and Inuyasha gulped it down. He slurped up the last of the broth, and set the bowl and chopsticks aside. "Mother?"

"Yes, Inuyasha?" She knelt at his bedside.

"Am I old enough now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Am I old enough to know what a… a _hanyou_ is?"

Izayoi looked away, blinking back tears. _I suppose it cannot be delayed any longer. It's best that he finds out from me rather than someone else…_ _though I wish it would never have to happen. _ "Yes, you are old enough now. Inuyasha, you know that you are special, right?"

"Yes, Mother. You've always told me that."

"But I've never told you why, have I?"

"No, Mother."

"You are special because you are a _hanyou_… you are half human, and half _youkai_, or demon."

Inuyasha looked puzzled. "How can I be half of one thing and half of something else? An egg is never half an egg and half a cabbage."

Izayoi smiled. "That's true. But people are more complex. They can often be many things, even two things that are usually in direct opposition."

"I don't understand."

"Are you brave, Inuyasha?"

"Of course, Mother!"

"And yet, you also fear some things, do you not? Like my cold remedy?"

"I guess so… I think I see now, a little."

"Good."

"But how am I half demon? You're all human!"

"Yes, I am… but your father was not. He was…" Izayoi blushed, remembering their first meeting. "Your father was a kind, brave, noble demon. He saved my life the first time we met… and he saved both mine and yours the night you were born. You probably don't remember, but that's when he gave you your name, Inuyasha."

"My father was a demon?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

"He's dead, Inuyasha. He died protecting us. The last thing he told me was that he wanted the two of us, you and I, to live long and well. I'm sure he would have come with us, but he had to make sure it was safe for us to go… so he stayed behind and died fighting."

"Oh. So I'm a _hanyou_ because he was a demon, and you're human."

"That's right."

"I see… so the other children in town are right to call me that when I ask them to play… they never seem to make it sound like a very nice thing to be."

Izayoi was startled at this news. "The children have been calling you that?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Yeah. It's what I am, isn't it?"

"Yes, but you don't call the children 'human', 'boy', or 'girl', do you?"

"No, I call them Mizuki-_chan_, and Yuri-_chan_, and Nodoka-_chan_, and…" he began counting off on his fingers.

"That's my boy," Izayoi smiled. "The next time they call you _hanyou_, you say to them, 'My name is Inuyasha-_chan'_. Ok?"

"Yes, Momma." Inuyasha yawned sleepily.

_He only calls me that when he's ready for bed. _"Good. Now, get some sleep." She bent over and kissed his brow. _Good, the fever's gone down some._ "Good night, Inuyasha."

"G'night," he mumbled. "Love you, Momma."

"And I love you… my little Inuyasha." She blew out the candle, and left his room, drawing the curtain behind her.


	3. Twilight Guests

Insert Standard Disclaimer here

"Twilight Guests"

It was evening. As usual, Izayoi was emptying out the dishwater onto the ground outside their house. Inuyasha had gone off into the nearby field to catch fireflies.

_I sense a presence… there's a demon nearby… _Izayoi stretched out her senses and located the source of the aura.

"Greetings!"

**WHAP!**

"How nice of you to drop in, Myoga."

"Any… time… Princess… ugh…" He fluttered down from where he'd perched at the tip of her nose.

"You know better than to do that," she smirked.

"Of course. I just couldn't resist a tiny sip from such a beautiful woman. It's been a long time, Your Highness." The old flea stood up on the field stone and took a tiny bow.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Or did you just come to flatter me?"

"I bring terrible news, Your Highness! Lord Sesshomaru, the elder son of Inuyasha's father, has discovered your whereabouts! You must flee to a safe place immediately!"

"That will not be necessary."

Myoga zipped into Izayoi's hair. "Too late, too late!" he squealed in her ear.

Izayoi stared at the tall demon. _Very much like his father,_ she thought. _Right down to the fluff._ "Lord Sesshomaru, I presume?"

He inclined his head slightly, affirming her statement. "You are Princess Izayoi."

"Correct."

"The same Izayoi who caused my father's death eight years ago."

_How dare he!_ "Your father died protecting me… and his son."

"So there was an offspring after all. Where is he?"

"What do you want with him?" Izayoi asked, fearing the worst. _If he has anywhere near the power his father had, there's no way I could stop him!_

"I wish to ascertain whether he is any threat to my rule."

"Look, Mother!" Inuyasha ran up to her with his hands clasped together. He opened them to reveal more than a dozen fireflies, who all took wing, except for one who seemed content to crawl around on his left palm. It took Inuyasha a moment to realize they had company… they didn't often have any.

"Mother, who is this?"

"This is your older brother, Lord Sesshomaru. He's come to visit." She looked Sesshomaru square in the eyes, but his expression betrayed nothing of his intentions.

"Are you his mother, too?" Inuyasha inquired, looking from one face to the other.

"No… but your father was also his father. I'll explain later," she added, noting his perplexed expression.

"What is his name?" Sesshomaru asked Izayoi.

"Ask him. He's old enough to tell you himself."

"I do not ask things a second time. I do not often ask a first time."

Izayoi bit her lip. She didn't want to anger him, and yet…

"Hi, Lord Sessh… Sessho… I'm Inuyasha!" The long name was still a bit tough for him.

Sesshomaru stared down at the grinning _hanyou_ child at his feet. He was obviously neither amused nor pleased to meet this potential challenger.

"Great," Myoga whispered in Izayoi's ear. "Inuyasha thinks he's found a playmate… this won't end well…"

Sesshomaru extended his right arm. "Stand still," he commanded Inuyasha, who uncharacteristically obeyed. Sesshomaru slashed quickly with a single finger, leaving only a small scratch on Inuyasha's left palm between the thumb and index finger.

"Ouch! That hurt!" Inuyasha yelled.

Sesshomaru ignored him. He lifted the blood-daubed claw to his nose, closed his eyes, and inhaled. After a moment, he opened his eyes again.

"I have smelled his blood. He is only half demon."

"You knew that already," Izayoi fumed.

"It is not always so certain," Sesshomaru reproved her. "But this Inuyasha is no threat to me." Sesshomaru turned away.

"Brother? Where are you going?" Inuyasha knew about brothers. They helped you when you got in trouble. He'd always wished for one.

Sesshomaru's footsteps paused for an instant and then resumed.

"Brother? Are you mad at me?"

"Inuyasha, shh!" Izayoi admonished her son. "Let him go. It's better this way."

"Why?"

"Your brother… Lord Sesshomaru… has business elsewhere he must attend to."

"Oh, hi, Myoga. When did you get here?" Inuyasha eyed the flea that now inspected the wound on his hand.

_He's been hiding, as usual,_ thought Izayoi.

"The wound is not serious, my lady. Some hot water and a small bandage should suffice."

"Why don't we all go inside?" suggested Izayoi. _I'll feel safer once we're all within the spirit wards… not that Sesshomaru couldn't break right through them._

Inside, Izayoi bound the injury and breathed a sigh of relief. _I suppose it's a good thing he's only half demon… if he was a full-blooded demon, Sesshomaru probably would have killed us both on the spot. But since a _hanyou_ couldn't possibly challenge a full _youkai_ for their father's title, Sesshomaru let us be._

"Mother? Did I do something to make Lord Sessho… Sesshomaru mad?"

"He wasn't mad, Inuyasha."

"Then why did he hurt me?"

Izayoi couldn't answer truthfully. Myoga spoke up. "It is an ancient demon nobility tradition that the blood of a potential heir – or a challenger – must be tested by the current ruler and an impartial third party for purity and strength. I have been the third party, and though I must admit your blood is quite tasty, it is not the blood of a full demon. Lord Sesshomaru was concerned that you might be a threat to his claim to your mutual father's title… he is the new Lord of the Western Lands, after all. And if I know Lord Sesshomaru, he would not let any threat to his title live! Inuyasha, tonight your human half saved your life! And very likely those of myself and your mother," he added under his breath.

"But… why did he go?" Inuyasha's lower lip trembled. "Why didn't he stay with me? All the other children in the village have brothers and sisters."

Izayoi dropped to her knees and embraced him. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha… I wish I could give you brothers and sisters. But that's just not going to happen. I treasure you too much to hand our lives over to a man who would probably kill you the first chance he got."

"I don't understand, Mother."

"I know… maybe someday you will. Come on, bedtime."

"Ok."

As Izayoi prepared her precious boy for bed, Myoga sat on the front step gazing at the sliver of moon. _If Sesshomaru had come tomorrow night, he would have found a human boy… would he have recognized him then? _Myoga sighed. _Who knows? Life is full of possibilities, yet only one course of events will ever be followed. It is a shame that events conspired to make this boy grow up without his father… without a place in this world._

He stood and dusted off his pants, then slung his traveling bundle across his back. "Time to head back to the grave… must keep up pretenses. Humph. I wonder where exactly Totosai hid the gateway to the fang, anyhow… absentminded old codger," he muttered as he hopped down the road.


	4. Pupil

Insert Standard Disclaimer here 

"**Pupil"**

Inuyasha was a fairly attentive student to his mother. She would whap his wrist with a reed if he got too distracted from his calligraphy, reading, human history, astronomy, and mathematics, but she didn't have to do it very often.

Myoga was a different story. "Lord Inuyasha, pay attention!" he squawked for the tenth time that morning.

"Sigh."

"Hmph. If you don't pay attention, I might just skip today's lesson on fighting demons!"

"No, no, Myoga, I'll pay attention. I promise!"

"Very well. Now, the _youkai_ we'll study today is the common mountain _oni_. The _oni_ is a fearsome beast that can grow to sizes comparable to the mountains they inhabit. They often…"

Unbeknownst to Myoga, Inuyasha was fast asleep, though his ears twitched unconsciously at the irritating noise. In fact, he slept with his eyes wide open for nearly half of the time he spent under Myoga's tutelage. The first time, it was purely by accident; he'd stayed out too late the night before hunting rabbits, a past-time which his mother only grudgingly approved of after Myoga explained to her that such behavior was "entirely normal" for a young dog-demon. Truthfully, she'd always liked stewed rabbit, so she gradually came to secretly enjoy Inuyasha's midnight capers.

The diminutive flea couldn't use corporal punishment to get his pupil in line, as Izayoi could, and Inuyasha literally found it very hard to focus on either his teacher _or_ the subject matter. The only thing Myoga taught him that was of any interest was the actual _fighting_ aspect of dealing with demons… and as Myoga hadn't done much of this himself, this topic was usually given the least attention. However, since Myoga always reserved that tasty tidbit for last, Inuyasha usually suffered through his boring lectures on demon history, culture, family lines and legacies, nomenclature, habits, etc.

Inuyasha had quickly figured out that the last ten minutes were all Myoga would quiz him on at the lesson's end. Since the old flea talked so much for so long, he couldn't remember more than the last ten or so minutes of what he himself said. When the time seemed right, Inuyasha slowly woke himself and began tuning in to Myoga's lecture. This time, Myoga had saved his personal favorite detail for last: the various properties of a demon's blood.

Inuyasha didn't mind it when the flea waxed especially eloquent about this aspect; his teacher's eyes glazed over and Inuyasha knew he'd be able to slip off and play for at least an hour and be back without Myoga realizing he had been gone.

This time, though, Myoga had surprisingly little to say, and his eyes didn't react like usual. "Lord Inuyasha, an _oni_'s blood is quite revolting compared to that of most demons. But there is a second reason why _oni_ blood is to be avoided: _oni_ blood attracts other _onis_. It is not through their sense of smell, for _onis_ lack that sense almost entirely.

"Within _oni _blood, there are small, vile creatures that emit a particular demonic aura unique to each host. _Onis _are innately drawn by any aura other than their own; an _oni_ can't sense its own aura, since that same aura is also within itself. Thus, while under normal circumstances _onis_ are solitary creatures, when one is wounded, others will gather. If a major threat is perceived, they will band together to fight a common foe; but if there is no apparent enemy, only an injured member of their species, then the wounded _oni_ will become dinner for the others."

The lesson concluded, Myoga drilled his unwilling pupil on _onis_, focusing – as expected – on their blood. Inuyasha did absorb some information while asleep, and so managed to pass to Myoga's satisfaction, but what he learned was always jumbled and usually forgotten by the next day.

"Very well, Lord Inuyasha. For today's combat lesson, we will learn about names."

"Names?"

"Yes. In human martial arts, swordplay, and all civilized forms of demon combat, names are given to the various attacks. Besides being used to quickly plan a synchronized attack with your allies, a name can be shouted simultaneously with the attack as a means of focusing your demon energy on the attack."

"Hmm. So, I could say, 'Super Squeeze' while doing this?" Inuyasha smashed the flea flat.

"Yes…" Myoga wheezed.

"Or say 'Super Shake' while doing this?"

"Yeh – yeh – yeh – yes!" he gasped out from within Inuyasha's clenched and wildly gyrating hand.

"Is that all you had to tell me today about combat, Myoga?" He fixed an evil eye on the squirming pest.

"Inuyasha, put him down! You should not treat your _sensei_ so cruelly!" Izayoi had just returned from the market.

"Yes, Mother…" _ Rats…_

"Phew…" Myoga mopped his brow. "You still have a lot to learn! You should be grateful that I am passing on my knowledge, Lord Inuyasha!"

"Aw, come on… I try… it's just so boring!"

"Hmph!" He turned his back and folded all four arms. "What I know might just save your life someday!"

"Sigh… I'm sorry… I'll try harder next time."

"Very well. I must be off, though… responsibilities elsewhere…" He muttered something indistinct about some 'Old Lady' as he hopped down the path to town.

Izayoi and Inuyasha watched him leave. "He's sure a strange one."

"You don't know the half of it, Mother."

"Oh! Inuyasha… before I forget, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's that?"

Izayoi hesitated, trying to think up good way of breaking it to him. She'd heard reports in town: large, clawed footprints had been left in trampled crop fields; and one unlucky peasant discovered his chicken coop smashed in and all of the occupants missing. Though she had no conclusive proof, she had deduced that an _oni_ had migrated from elsewhere and now prowled the area at night. And it was getting bolder. Of course, the townsfolk blamed bandits. But did bandits leave a trail of poultry carcasses?

"Inuyasha, I want you to stay at home at night from now on, until I tell you, ok? I've been lonely lately, and I'll feel better if you're here." _It's entirely true, but still not the main reason… I don't want him to worry, or go off looking for trouble._

"Yes, Mother." Inuyasha knew better than to disobey; to him, Mother's word was law. Besides that, it made him happy that she wanted him to stay with her; he wanted to stay with her forever.

A/N: An _oni_ is a common demon in Japanese mythology, fairly comparable to a European ogre with horns. The bit about _oni_ blood is completely fictitious, as far as I know. If it _is_ true, that's just creepy. I hope it made some sense. I also hope I didn't get _your_ hopes up with the title… it's not about Inuyasha's eye, but Inuyasha himself. I am a fan of Ranma 1/2 as well as Inuyasha, and since Ranma and Happosai are the rough equivalents of Inuyasha and Myoga, respectively, I wanted to see how the feudal era pair would behave in the roles of student and teacher. What do you think?


	5. Petals and Metal

Insert Standard Disclaimer here

"**Petals and Metal"**

Inuyasha hummed to himself as he balanced on the tree limb twenty feet off the ground. His bare feet kept the rhythm… left, right, left, right. He felt the branch begin to bend beneath his weight as he approached the narrow end.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm!" He stopped, narrowed his eyes, and looked for a suitable target. Spotting one, he crouched, bounced twice, and sprang into the air.

"Oomph!" He'd misjudged the distance, and his feet narrowly missed the limb of the next tree he'd aimed for. _Well, at least I caught it…_ He dangled by both arms, his small claws digging into the young bark. "Rrr… ah!" He hauled himself up and sat on the branch.

**GROWL**

Inuyasha rubbed his complaining stomach. "Yeah, yeah… I know it's past time for lunch. But then Mother will make me help clean up afterwards, and do my chores, and take a bath, and won't let me out to play again." _She's been telling me to not stay out after dark lately… I wonder why?_

"Ah, she's just worried about nothing," he proclaimed. Saying it aloud made it feel truer. He began walking along the limb towards the trunk. He paused briefly before hopping to another branch five feet overhead. "Easy!"

The end of this bough, however, stuck out towards an open field. But from here, he could see another one, higher still, leading towards another tree. He backtracked, jumped to his target branch, and followed it outwards.

_Hmm… pretty far… _He hesitated only a moment before flinging himself headlong into open space. It was the longest jump he'd yet attempted. Once more, he just barely missed the branch and had to dig in with his claws.

"Oh… kay… think I've had enough for one day," he muttered. He struggled to heave his body on top, but even as he did so, the rotten bark beneath his claws flaked away. Inuyasha found himself grasping at thin air and plummeting toward the ground from thirty feet up!

_How do I do that slowing-down thing Myoga tried to teach me?_ He tried to focus his demon energy like he'd been taught, but it was too little too late. The ground rushed up to meet him like a hungry predator.

xxxxx

"Inuyasha is late again," Izayoi murmured as she hung up the freshly washed bedding. "He's been missing a lot of meals lately. But, boys will be boys!" She paused in her work and smiled, remembering her own brother's childhood antics. _Yamagata came home with cuts and bruises often, but Father believed such things toughened boys up to become strong men. He took it on himself to train Yamagata in martial arts and swordsmanship when the time came._

She filled a bucket with cool, clear water from the small streat that ran merrily along the side of the house. _Inuyasha must be growing up the same way… only without a father. The closest thing he has to _that_ is that pesky flea. And although he's been teaching Inuyasha a lot about his demon abilities and the nature of other demons, he's not exactly big enough for Inuyasha to wrestle with him._

She poured some water from the bucket into a kettle, set it over the fire, and boiled herself a quick cup of tea. As she sat on the front step reminiscing about her brother, gradually her mind turned to the future. _I wonder what sort of person… what sort of _man_ Inuyasha will turn out to be… will he be strong? kind? generous? Will he find someone to care for, like his father found me?_ She mentally sighed and shook her head. _The odds are heavily stacked against him in that regard… but there's always a chance. I _have_ to believe there is someone out there destined for him._

Izayoi drained her cup and scanned the horizon, searching for signs of her truant son, but found no indication of his imminent return. "That boy… Oh! I forgot the last of the laundry!" She set the cup inside the door and returned to her incomplete task.

"I guess since he has no father or brothers to wrestle with, and the village children shun him, he has only himself to wrestle with." She shook out the last sheet with a sharp _snap_. "As long as he's back by dinnertime…"

xxxxx

"Ooh…" Inuyasha came to hours later. The sky overheard was dark, broken only by a few sparkles of starlight through the thin clouds. He slowly moved one arm, then the other, then both legs. He flexed his fingers and toes, and took a deep breath to check his ribs. _Nothing broken,_ he concluded. _Must've just had the wind knocked out of me._

He sat up too quickly, and stars rushed to his head. He almost blacked out again, but the sharp pain in his belly kept him awake while simultaneously reminding him that he'd now missed both lunch _and_ dinner. When the world stopped spinning, he slowly stood up, more wary this time. _I'd better get back… Mother will be worried._

Glancing about, he realized that he'd been so caught up in tree-hopping that he'd lost track of which direction was the way home. "No sweat," he announced to the forest. "I'll just use my nose."

His sense of smell had sharpened a great deal lately. He could single out his mother's scent in the crowded market, or a single infested, rotting vegetable from a whole field. As he inhaled, he couldn't detect his mother's scent at all. _Which means she's downwind, _he concluded. The breeze was light, but steady, so he chased its heels as it threaded through the trees.

Several minutes at a light run brought him no welcome sight of home… just more trees. _I must've been booking this morning!_ He tested the air again, allowing his canine senses to take control briefly.

"Whoof!" Inuyasha staggered back, holding his nose. "What's that hideous stench?"

Maybe it was instinct… maybe luck… maybe he saw the shadow descending upon him from above. He never could remember. In any case, he narrowly escaped a gruesome death, springing aside just as a giant arm crashed down where he'd been standing. The intense gust of wind caused by the arm's sudden movement sent him spinning through the air.

He righted himself in midair and slid to a stop. _Oh, crap…_ His feet seemed glued to the ground as he stared up at the brooding figure that had just tried to turn him into a _hanyou_ pancake. The _oni_'s head turned to face its prey and grinned maliciously.

Inuyasha shook himself. _Come on, snap out of it… you can take him!_ Indeed, Inuyasha had fought a few battles thus far: minor demons, weasels and such, and even a good-natured scrap with a _kitsune_ – until her parents showed up and unsurprisingly hustled their pure-blood child away from the _hanyou_. Inuyasha had always come out on top so far… though the fox had almost had him licked, he'd never admit it.

This was his toughest opponent yet. Inuyasha quickly assessed the situation. _He may be strong, but he's slow… he's bound to think I'm scared… time for an ambush!_ "Come and get me, ugly!" he yelled as he bounded into the brush.

The ogre crashed after him, following the brief flashes of red like beacons in the dark forest. Then its target disappeared. The _oni_'s nose was keen, but of course, Inuyasha had led his pursuer to be upwind of himself. He wrinkled his nose as he watched the _oni_ from his perch. _I don't want him to smell me, but I sure hate having to smell him!_ He bided his time until the demon was in the perfect spot.

"HRAH!!!" Glowing yellow blades extended from his claws as he catapulted from the branch. The foot-long blades slashed neatly through the right half of the _oni_'s face, splattering its eye into greenish goop. Inuyasha skidded to a halt, his blood beginning to heat up with the thrill of battle. "Heh. Maybe I should come up with a name for that sometime, like Myoga suggested. Hmm…" As he stared at his claws, it came to him in a flash of inspiration. _'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer'… perfect!_

He smirked as the slow – and slow-witted – ogre roared at the loss of its ocular orb. Then its head snapped around and the remaining eye flashed menacingly, even as its foot-long horns doubled in length and thickness. The _oni_ roared again and charged, swinging its arms wildly.

_How did it suddenly get so much faster and stronger?_ Inuyasha wondered as dodged the _oni_'s wild attack. Something tickled the back of his mind. _Oh, yeah… Myoga told me there are some demons who become more powerful the more they are hurt… this must be one of them! But as long as I can get back to a tree, it won't get me!_

The injury had all but destroyed the _oni_'s depth perception. But its remaining eye could see all the better, and the fiend quickly located the tree in which Inuyasha had taken refuge. Inuyasha didn't see the charge in time to ready a counterstrike, and barely managed to escape to another tree even as his previous asylum was smashed into splinters by the _oni_'s newly empowered fist.

_That tree was huge, but it smashed right through! No matter… I'm still faster!_ As the last wood splinters settled, Inuyasha prepared to strike again. _I'll blind it for good this time!_

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Again, the blades appeared at his fingertips… again, they slashed through the _oni_'s eye in a spray of ichor. But this time, the _oni_'s horns were a bit longer, and as the demon tossed its head and roared with primal fury, one of them snagged the hem of Inuyasha's robe!

Had the cloth been woven of weaker material, it would have torn, and he would have been shredded by the thrashing arms below; instead, Inuyasha dangled upside-down by his fire-rat hair robe.

_I bet I look pretty ridiculous right now,_ Inuyasha thought as he crossed his arms and sulked. "Hmph!"

He instantly regretted vocalizing. The _oni_ could no longer see, but it could _hear_ even better than before. Its head snapped around, trying to locate the source of the sound, but even as the oni rotated its head, Inuyasha revolved as well. It still couldn't detect the slight weight tugging on its left horn, which was becoming longer and sharper still as a result of this new injury. But it could smell the _hanyou_ nearby.

Inuyasha tried to formulate a plan as the demon began blindly staggering through the forest in search of his far-too-troublesome quarry. _Let him walk into a tree and get knocked down? No, more likely the tree would fall… and if I happened to be between him and the tree, I'll be a goner._ As the _oni_ stumbled on, Inuyasha began to swing back and forth in time with its bobbing head. An idea came to mind. _This is just like swinging on a rope! Now if I can cut the rope… I've got to time this just right!_

Inuyasha waited until his oscillation was at the furthest point, then slashed at the horn with all his might; this time without foolishly announcing his attack. The blades made a soft _schink_ as they dug deep furrows into the tough substance… but didn't cut clean through. The demon didn't feel it, and as branches were scraping against its other horn, it didn't pay it any mind.

_Damn! It's too thick! Well, if I can't cut that… aw, man… Mother's going to kill me!_ Inuyasha brandished his claws again, waited for the out-swing, and slashed through the corner of his robe. He dropped silently to the ground as the demon stalked on, completely oblivious.

He crouched motionless until the _oni_ was long gone, and then sat up carefully. "_Now_ which way is home?" he wondered. He took his bearings from the rising full moon, and set off in the direction he thought was most likely. Thankfully, it was not the direction the _oni_ had chosen.

But, as a result of his inattentiveness to Myoga's more jejune discourses, Inuyasha had failed to learn one particular fact; had he known it, he would have been substantially more afraid. For some of the _oni_'s blood had splashed on his robe, which meant that Inuyasha was now an unwitting walking _oni _snack. Oblivious, he wandered fearlessly through the wood, knowing the blind _oni_ was far behind him.

Thankfully, Inuyasha had two points in his favor. First, _onis_ are horrendously stupid… which he had recently verified through personal experience. Second, when _onis_ smell _oni_ blood, they are usually not expecting fast food.

xxxxx

Izayoi was frantic. _I can understand Inuyasha missing lunch while distracted by play, but he's always, _always_ home in time for dinner!_ _Something must have happened to him… he's never this late. What do I do? _She considered asking the neighbors to help her search, but rejected that idea. _They'd just say they're too busy and laugh at me behind my back. No. I must go looking for him myself._

She retrieved a brush and inkwell and scribed a quick note of explanation – in case Inuyasha should return while she was gone. Still dressed in her work clothes, she grabbed a lit lantern and hurried out into the falling darkness.

Moments later, she returned. She quickly plucked the petals from one of the lotus blossoms she carried, and scattered them on the floor. She gently placed the other flower into a small basket and ran off into the night.

xxxxx

Two _onis_ hurtled through the underbrush, tracking the aura of their demon brother's blood. They could tell the aura was neither far nor moving quickly. They grinned savagely at the prospect: they would soon either have a most enjoyable fight, or eat heartily.

They smashed through a thicket of bamboo and stared down at the aura's source.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Inuyasha turned and fled for his life, the _onis_ in hot pursuit. The red-cloaked figure they hunted wouldn't make much of a meal… they'd probably be hungrier afterward than before the chase… but, after all: _onis_ are dumb.

_I missed lunch… missed dinner… fell out of the tree… first one oni… now two… and I'm completely lost. Can this day get any worse?_ Inuyasha ticked off the day's misfortunes as he dashed along. He was headed towards a clearing. _Great, no ground cover… can't lose them in the trees anymore… _"Whoop!" _No ground at all!_

Indeed, the ground completely disappeared scarcely ten meters before him. He stood on a bare rocky cliff jutting out over a winding watercourse; the river itself lay far below, having entrenched itself long ago during a cataclysmic upheaval, and the sides rose up sheer, with nary a handhold. He stopped to catch his breath and think. _Where to now?_

The ruckus raised by the _onis_ warned him he had little time. Worse, his nose informed him that they had split up and were now flanking him. _Can't run, too tired to fight even one of them… gotta hide. _He looked over the cliff, and spied his salvation. He focused his demon energy, and this time, he was able to glide safely to a small sheltered outcropping below. None to soon, for the _onis_ trailed the aura right to the edge of the cliff.

Inuyasha found himself hoping the _onis_ would fall straight in. They weren't quite that brainless. However, they were puzzled that the aura now told them to go _down_. They roared and snarled at each other, debating what had happened in their crude tongue.

_What do they want with me?_ Inuyasha speculated. _And how are they tracking me so easily?_ He had barely enough room to crouch down. As he did so, he noticed discolored splotches on his robe. _The other oni_'s _blood… can they smell it? No… I could barely smell it. It's just a few spatters… but what have I got to lose now?_ Delicately, he used his claws to cut out the contaminated portions, releasing each one into the breeze. As he was working on the third spot, he heard the _onis_ direct their attention downwind. _Yes! That's it!_ The onis began stomping along the cliff, following the tiny scraps of cloth.

xxxxx

Izayoi rushed through the woods at a pace only a marathon runner or a desperate mother could keep up for long. And marathon runners don't usually call out at the top of their lungs every ten paces.

She first checked his favorite spots: an old oak, a cozy cave just right for someone his size; but her search turned up no signs of Inuyasha.

_He hasn't been here today_, she thought, testing the dirt floor of the cave. _He never roams much further. Did he run away? No, he'd never leave me._

"Inuyasha!" She pressed on, dimming the lantern slightly to conserve oil. A while later, in the lantern's diffuse light, she spied a trail of recently broken bracken. _Well, _some_thing has been through here tonight; the branches have not yet begun to heal._

Throwing caution to the wind, she followed the trail, hoping it would lead to her precious boy. Before long, the trail dead-ended before an abyss.

She called out for the thousandth time that night: "Inuyasha!"

xxxxx

Inuyasha continued his makeshift custom tailoring. He was almost through when his ears pricked up involuntarily. _Did somebody call my name?_

"Inuyasha!" The voice was faint, but distinctively that of his…

_Mother! She can't be out here!_

"Inuyasha!" The voice was definitely his mother's, though he'd never before heard it sound so panicked. _Gee, I wonder why…_

Unfortunately, the _onis_ had heard her as well. He could feel their stomping feet returning on the cliff above, hear the echoes resounding from the opposing cliff. _I've got to get her out of here!_ He looked up, analyzing the stony face above. _It's too high to make it in a single jump, but if I can bounce off that ledge, then that one… _his eyes traced a zig-zagging path upwards. _Let's go!_ His legs bent like compressed springs, and then…

"Hup… hup… hup… RAH!" He burst over the edge of the canyon, landing lightly a few feet from the rim.

"Inuyasha!" Izayoi ran from the edge of the woods towards him, oblivious to the danger.

"Mother, watch out, _onis_!" He dashed between the advancing ogres and his mother, and turned to face the foe. "Get away, Mother, I'll buy you some time!"

The demons roared, recognizing their earlier prey by sight.

'_Two kills from one chase!'_

'_A tasty human, too! We will feed well!'_

They charged.

Izayoi rushed to her son; the lantern fell to the bare earth and shattered. Clutching his fatigued but struggling frame to herself with one arm, she retrieved the lotus blossom from its basket with the other. Holding it before them, she quickly recited the spell. The blossom rose into the air, the outer petals separating and hovering about the center; and a luminous sphere enveloped mother and son.

In a brilliant flash, the _oni_'s prey disappeared. Momentarily blinded, the two demons collided with one another and tumbled to the ground. Though it had not yet been officially formulated, Newton's First Law of Motion was still in effect. It kept them rolling: right over the lip, into the gaping maw, and onto the jagged rocks below.

xxxxx

Inuyasha and Izayoi reappeared in their humble abode. The protective bubble around them burst with a small _pop_, releasing a load of dirt, a filthy little boy, and his mother onto the immaculate floor.

"Ow… what happened? Mother? Mother!" He sprang to her side.

"Inuyasha?" She raised her head wearily. "Are we back?"

"Yes, Mother, we're home… how did you do that?"

She crumpled again, secure in the knowledge that they were safe. "I'll explain later… I'm just so glad you're safe." She smiled, reached up, and gently rubbed his cheek. "You were so brave, Inuyasha!"

"Oh, Mother… I'm sorry to have worried you… I won't do it again, I promise!" He hugged her neck.

Izayoi sighed and patted his back. "I can't help but worry about you, Inuyasha. That's just what I do. Now… can you help me to go to bed? I'm too tired to move much; that spell I just used is very draining."

"Of course, Mother."

Behind a screen in her bedroom, she slipped out of her work clothes and into a silk nightgown. Then, for the first time, Inuyasha helped his mother get into bed. It would not be the last.

No sooner had her head touched the pillow, but she was asleep. "Good night, Momma," Inuyasha whispered. He sat on his haunches for a while, watching over her. On impulse, he brushed her raven hair away from her smudged face, and gently kissed her forehead. She stirred, but did not wake as he slipped out of the room.

As tired as he was, tonight he could not bring himself to sleep. He sat on the doorstep, mulling over the day's events as the moon finished its journey.

"I need to become stronger… strong enough to protect Mother. I can't just play around any more," he decided, pounding his fist into his palm. "The next time Myoga comes around, I'm going to shake him until he tells me how to be stronger!"

xxxxx

When Izayoi woke up, the sun was beginning to shine through the westward-facing doorway. She found her son asleep on the doorstep. "Wake up, sleepy-head… you haven't eaten in nearly a day," she reminded him. He refused to stir, though his ears twitched slightly at the mention of food. "I just need to start another part of your face twitching," Izayoi thought out loud.

An hour later, Inuyasha awoke to the aroma of a veritable feast. His stomach nearly preceded his feet into the main room, where his mother was ladling miso soup into two bowls. "Mother!"

"Good afternoon, Inuyasha!" She beamed. When he tried to say more, she shushed him. "We'll talk later… let's just eat for now, ok?"

"Mm-hmm."

"_Itadakimasu!"_

A/N: Yay! I finally managed to use the word "jejune"! If you couldn't gather from the context clues, it means "insubstantial" or "uninteresting"… like many school lectures we've all heard, no doubt. If you are a Harry Potter fan, think of Professor Bimms (the ghostly history teacher). Read the previous chapter to learn about _oni_ blood. This story is really an expansion on an anime canon event – I forget which episode. I have not seen it in quite a while, so it must be in season 5 , but I have tried to maintain as many details as possible. I prefer to leave attack names in English… just more used to it, for one thing. I might change that _when_ I introduce the _kazana _(hint, hint!). Finally, _itadakimasu_ is the Japanese phrase traditionally spoken at the beginning of a meal; it literally means, "I will receive".


	6. Blood

Insert Standard Disclaimer here 

A/N: As opposed to the previous stories, which were all told in third-person omniscient POV, this one is narrated by Inuyasha himself. Yay! I decided to do this for two reasons: first, because he is now older – maybe not wiser, but older – and more able to speak for himself. Second, the previous stories contained several details that would obviously not have been known to Inuyasha himself, but needed to be included nonetheless; these were supplied to yours truly by his loyal-but-cowardly retainer, Myoga, or second-hand from Izayoi through him. As Myoga did not bear witness to the events of this story, he had nothing significant to add.

"**Blood"**

When I was twelve, I discovered how we had been able to survive for so long without either my mother or myself working. It seems my father had secretly hidden a small stash of human money that he had earned in the guise of a soldier in my human grandfather's employ, and he had told my mother where to find it should anything happen to him. My mother explained that he refused to steal anything from humans, though such a thing would have been effortless for him. He also refused to endanger us by leaving any of his demon wealth to us; we would have become a target. My father planned to leave enough money to last us for about twenty years, but things didn't work out like he'd planned.

While my father was alive, he made it a practice to "attack" a castle every now and then. He would never hurt or kill anyone intentionally, though he might cause some damage to the structure itself. But as a result of his harassment, the local human lords feared to enter into full-blown war against each other – they banded together to fight against my father, instead – though minor skirmishes always cropped up here and there. But now my father was out of the picture, and his heir, my half-brother Sesshomaru, was uninterested in human affairs.

No humans save my mother knew my father was actually dead; he simply vanished from human history. Eventually, the memory of the great dog demon faded, and with it, the local lords' reluctance to enter into full-scale conflict with each other.

The fires of war spread across the countryside. And our town was not spared.

xxxxx

"Man, what a mess…" I shook my head and surveyed the damage from my vantage high point up in a tree. The hailstorm the night before had wrecked every single roof in town. All day long, I'd watched from a distance while the townsfolk made repairs. There were a few roofs that stayed holed as the day wore on. _Did all the people inside those homes die?_

Dropping lightly to the ground, I made my way back home. My mother was waiting for me… with a job to do.

"Tonight? But I was going hunting, and I…"

"We need the money, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, yeah… I know."

Our money wasn't entirely gone. But with the local lords gearing up for war, snatching up supplies wherever they could, even basic necessities had become much more expensive. Mother had already sold off half of her best kimonos just to keep us fed; thankfully, she'd had the foresight to _buy_ our home, rather than renting it… most renters in the area were turned out for failing to make payments. To keep our family going as long as possible, Mother expanded her garden behind the house while I hunted. I didn't mind, to be honest; not that I enjoyed the killing aspect… I loved the thrill of the chase!

"Inuyasha, are you listening to me?"

"_Sigh._ Yes, Mother." I thrust my hands onto my hips and slouched into the doorway. _Might as well get it over with, whatever it is…_

"Old Lady Murakami needs her roof repaired… you remember her, right?"

"How could I forget… she pinches my cheek every year." She was a widow, and her children had all preceded her in death. Mother kept her company some days, and invited her along to celebrate my birthday. Apparently it wasn't a party with only two people. I didn't mind her all that much, cheek-pinching aside. She had some pretty good stories to tell, having lived for longer than anyone I knew except Myoga.

Nodding at appropriate moments, I let my mother finish her overly detailed instructions. _Oop, she's wrapping up_. "Yes, Mother, I'll make sure to seal the cracks and everything."

She made the smile that made my heart warmer than the brightest summer day. "That's my boy." As much as my mother annoyed me some days, I always loved her more than anything; I'd do anything for her, when it came right down to it.

xxxxx

So that night, I headed for the old woman's place, hopping from roof to roof to avoid the night watchmen. I paused when I heard muted voices coming from below my feet. _Who's up this late in town? _I pressed my ear to the planking.

"… so much misfortune these past years…" _That's the headman._

"… made all the usual sacrifices at the shrine, and more…" _The priest._

"Why is all this… … at fault?" _Mr. Tanaka._

"… Lady Izayoi and her half-breed?" _WHAT?_

I clung to the roof as my head spun. _They think Mother and I caused the hailstorm?_ I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop listening to their wild theories and lies. The drought five years ago… last year's poor soybean harvest… utter nonsense, of course. I'd never done a darn thing to hurt them, but I was a half-breed – so it was always, _always_ my fault. 

Before long, the headman dismissed the meeting, having ultimately decided on nothing at all. I almost didn't go to finish the job, but we needed the money. I quietly placed the fresh boards across the remains of the old ones, smeared tar between the cracks, and weighted them down with the rocks from the sack slung over my shoulder.

I stood up and admired my handiwork, but my thoughts slipped back to earlier. "I can't tell Mother… but from now on, she never goes into town alone!" I vowed. As I slipped off into the night, I wondered whether the old lady would even pay us for the job.

Fortunately, Old Lady Murakami had been around long enough that she knew the difference between a half-breed's curse and natural events, so she didn't hate me like everyone else "suddenly" did. They all acted like it was something new, and only barely hid it in my mother's presence. The promised string of money lay on the doorstep the two mornings later. But it was now far too dangerous for her to be seen associating with us; she didn't come for my thirteenth birthday. I actually kind of missed her, though I'd never admit it to Mother.

xxxxx

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

My golden claws sliced cleanly through the weasel demon even as it pounced, and it disappeared into a fine mist.

"Heh. Just more vermin…" _Not that it did anything in particular to deserve such a fate…_

I'd spent less than twenty minutes tracking it down and killing it… a new record for me! Slaying minor demons like the weasel was now a part of my daily routine. I figured that if I kept the demons from causing trouble, there wouldn't be any to be pinned on me. And I didn't mind the chance to practice fighting. My mother knew nothing about all this, of course.

I continued my circuitous path around the outskirts of town, always sniffing the hot, dry air for traces of demons. I stopped for a drink in a clear, still pool at the next stream I came across. I stared at my reflection in the water for a long time… my wavy white hair, my robe hanging loosely on my lean frame… my canine ears. _Mother says I'll fill it out eventually. I'd almost rather have clothes that fit, but I gotta admit it sure is handy._

As I lay there, my nose picked up something else entirely. "Horses?"

I stood up, and dashed to the crest of the valley through which the stream ran. From here, I had a clear view of the road that led away from the village to the east. Often, I would see a cart laden with goods come down that road. Sometimes a messenger on horseback with an urgent message. But never before had I seen what I saw that afternoon.

xxxxx

"Mother! Come quick, something's going on!" I gasped for breath, clutching the stitch in my side as I stood in the doorway.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" She dusted the flour off her hands and came to the door.

"I saw several armed men riding towards town from the east. They had big red banners, and hundreds of armed men marching behind them." I held my skinny arms wide apart to indicate the size of the banners. "We've got a lot of bandits to drive off this time!" I grinned up at her, and was shocked by the alarmed look on her face.

"Banners mean they are samurai warriors, not thieves. The town might not be able to just drive them off, Inuyasha. What color were the banners?"

"Most of them were red," I told her. "What does that matter?"

"The lord to whom this town swears allegiance marches under a blue banner… and his castle is also to the east!" She strode to the edge of the woods and gazed off into the distance. I strained my own eyes next to her, unsure of what to look for. As the sun dipped lower behind us, the eastern sky did not dim; rather, the blue turned a sickening orange.

"The castle is burning," she murmured. "Just like last time."

"Mother?" _What does she mean, last time?_

"Inuyasha, you must run to the headman and warn him that the enemy is coming. I will stay here and make preparations to fight them. But you must come back before sundown!"

"Why? Oh!" _Tonight is the New Moon!_ "I'm on it… I'll be back before you know it!"

xxxxx

_I really don't know why I should do this for them, _I thought as I sped down the shallow incline that led from home to the town. I raced through the open gate and down the streets to the headman's home, where I'd heard them talking about Mother and I months earlier.

"Headman! Headman!" I pounded on the doorjamb.

"Yes, yes, what is… you!"

"Yes, sir! My mother sent me to warn you that an army is…"

"Get away, demon child!" The back of his meaty hand abruptly slammed into the side of my head, and I flew into a stack of salt barrels across the street. His haughty "Hmph!" was the last thing I heard before I passed out, buried beneath the heavy barrels.

xxxxx

When I awoke, the air was filled with smoke and screams. _Still under a barrel, eh? _Groggily, I tried to push myself up off the ground, but couldn't. "What the… crap!" I stared at my hands splayed out before me… no claws. _Duh, it's nighttime now. My demon blood has left me._ I tried to free myself again, focusing on rolling the barrel off my back _before_ standing up again. This time it worked. 

I staggered through the empty streets, trying to remember which way led home. "O ho, what have we here? I told you boys to gather all the young men together!" boomed a voice to my left.

I turned to see a squad of soldiers led by a mounted samurai. "We must have missed this one, sir!" one soldier apologized.

"Well, don't just stand there, get him!"

"Yes, sir!"

I tried to make a break for it, but I didn't get far. _Must've sprained my ankle,_ I thought as the soldiers manhandled me to the town square. _At least they didn't kill me…_

Looking about the square, I saw soldiers sorting the townspeople into various groups. They split up almost every single family. The older men and women were herded into one of the two teahouses; the children into the other. The young women were clustered in the center of the square, their wrists bound. I was unceremoniously dumped with the rest of the younger men and boys, trussed up hand and foot. I was suddenly grateful of the darkness; it helped hide my identity from my fellow captors. _Would they even recognize me as a human?_ I wondered.

The soldiers all around the square dropped to one knee as the door to the inn opened. "All hail Lord Kagewaki!" they chorused.

Waving his hands to quiet his army, Kagewaki strode towards us. "Rejoice, young men!" he bellowed. "You should be honored to have the distinction of such a choice: join my army, all of you, or I shall burn your families to ashes!" He gestured to the teahouses, where soldiers stood ready with torches.

Cries of dismay rose up all around. _Damn him! That's a filthy way to get new recruits! _I tried to wriggle my hands free of the coarse rope with which they had bound me.

"Now, now, just come along quietly and no one has to die." Grinning savagely, Kagewaki indicated a table set up in on the inn's front porch, where a clerk with ink, brush, and scroll waited to take down names. "Just give my man your name, and when the war is over, you can come back home in peace."

One by one, the men of the town began to get in line. O_nly a coward would give up this easily… I guess the headman didn't pass on my warning. Idiot. Still, they're actually willing to sacrifice themselves to save someone else. There's something to be said for that, I suppose. Damn… if only I had my claws, I could get out of this rope! _

"Get a move on, boy!" I stared at the guard, who began poking me with the haft of his spear.

"I'd love to, but I'm tied up, you moron!"

He finally noticed my bound ankles. Motioning for me to spread my legs, he sliced the rope in between. "Now move it!" I reluctantly filed in with the rest of the men.

_Come on, think of something!_ It wasn't like I owed these people anything, but they didn't deserve to be treated like slaves… livestock, even! It was finally my turn in line. The clerk asked me my name, and I caught myself just in time. _What sort of human has a name like Inuyasha?_ "Err… it's got weird kanji… I can write it myself," I offered. He handed me the brush, and I took my time writing out 'Usotsuki Nisemono' – I had to, as my wrists were still tightly bound. Despite the dire situation, I couldn't help but laugh at my own joke. The clerk gave me an odd look as I was shoved aside to make room for the next man.

I slumped to the ground next to the other registered men and watched Kagewaki circling the young women like a hungry wolf. I didn't yet understand exactly what he was planning to do with them, but from the evil glint in his eyes I knew it was definitely nothing good. He bent over next to one poor girl – probably younger than me – and said something to her that made her start bawling.

While I watched him, I too was being watched. One of the guards had noticed that my rich red robe was hardly the garb of a village boy. He leveled a spear at me and demanded that I hand it over to him. I considered his request, but I had a much better idea: I caught the flat blade of the spear with the backs of my wrists and drove the butt end of the weapon into his midsection. I used the spear blade to free my hands and was about to gut him with his own weapon when the village men dog-piled on top of me. 

"Fool!"

"Idiot!"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Do you want to get us all killed?"

"… Hey, who are you anyway?"

_Uh-oh… the jig is up! _Kagewaki's men actually came to my rescue, or so I thought, pulling the village men back off.

"What's all this ruckuss?"

"A new recruit tried to harm one of your loyal soldiers, Lord Kagewaki!" a captain reported. The soldier who I'd tried to spear kneeled before his lord and explained what had happened.

"I see… I have no use for such trash." Without another word, Kagewaki drew his sword and slit the soldier from groin to throat in one swift movement. He raised the dripping sword. "Thus to all who fail in my service!" he roared. "As for you," he said, turning to me, "you've got spirit. Tell me, how does a strong boy with your filthy feet and hands come to wear a robe worthy of a young lord? Did you steal it? Did you _kill_ for it?"

"I'll tell you," I said, "if you'll let everyone in the village go to bed for now and do nothing bad to anyone until morning." _Will he buy it?_

"Trying to bargain with your master, are you? Fool!" He cuffed me into the cobblestones. "Lord Kagewaki answers to no one! Besides," he added, "I'm planning on having too much fun tonight!" All around the square, his men added their mocking laughter to his. I was sick of getting knocked around, so I played dead even though my blood was boiling.

I was glad I had my eyes shut when a blinding glare filled the square a moment later. I opened them to see my mother kneeling in the exact spot where the young women had been… and no young women. _She must have used that teleportation spell… which means she's exhausted!_

"Mother!" I scrambled to my feet and ran to her while the soldiers and villagers rubbed their eyes.

"Inuyasha! I had no idea you were here! I thought you would be somewhere safe, so I came to rescue the women from…"

"What in the world?" Kagewaki was fuming. "Where are the…? My, my, what have we here?" He snapped his fingers, and a ring of soldiers surrounded us. My mother stood, shakily; I think she refused to do anything resembling bowing in front of him. As a pair of soldiers held my arms, Kagewaki grabbed her chin and spat in her face. "I don't know just what you did to spirit away my company for tonight, but it seems that you've volunteered to replace them!" He slapped her. _Hard._

"That's enough, you bastard!" I charged him, neither knowing what I'd do or caring what would happen to me. _I have to protect you… _"Mother!"

As I drew close, he slashed at me like he'd done to the soldier earlier; his sword broke on my robe. It hurt like hell, but I wasn't cut in the least.

"What are you?" Kagewaki growled down at me, while his soldiers dragged my mother away. He kicked me, and I went tumbling. Myoga's lessons finally paid off; I'd remembered to roll right before the kick, so it wasn't as hard. But he came stomping after me. "Why don't you bleed?" He snatched a club from a soldier, and began beating me ferociously. It was a long time before I blacked out.

xxxxx

When I regained consciousness, I had a monstrous headache. And I was sore all over. And I was being bumped and jostled. I opened my eyes to see where I was. _Damn… still dark?_ I tried to feel for my ears, but cold metal encircling my wrists prevented that. I tried my legs next… they were chained, too. When I tried to sit up, I realized a tight band around my neck restricted my breathing. _That explains the headache._ But I could still smell: horses, leather, and oiled metal… yep, I was a demon again. The jostling and the smells put together told me I was in a moving covered wagon.

I began straining my arms against the chains. I knew something had to give… the metal bands, a chain link, whatever the chains were attached to, my arms? The dull **crack** of splintering rotten wood and daylight pouring through a hole in the wall answered that question. I freed the left arm in the same manner… this time, a link snapped.

By that point I was dizzy from lack of air. I had to wait and catch my breath before trying to free my neck. I held my breath, dug the fingers of my right hand under the collar, and focused my demon energy. As my fingers slipped back out again, the golden blades cleaved through the iron, and it clanked to the floor in pieces. I used the same process to free my legs. Removing all five shackles probably only took a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. I peered out the hole in the wall, only one goal in mind: _Save Mother._

The trouble was, I had no idea where she was. The passing landscape was completely unfamiliar terrain, for I'd never strayed far from the village – except for that time with the _onis_, of course. And _never _along the roads. 

_Damn… why did Mother tell me to never kill humans? I could get rid of all these wicked men right now! How can I fight them without killing them?_ I scratched my head, and the chain dangling from my wrist clanked against the wall. _Forgot those._ I slashed through the clasps, and almost tossed them aside. _Duh!_

I burst out of the wagon, chains whirling in both hands, and gave those soldiers a beating they would never forget. Mother would have been proud: I actually took the time to check if each man was from the village before smashing his face in or snapping his leg in two. I needn't have bothered, though: I didn't see a single one. The horses I just killed, poor dumb things. _Better off dead than ridden by cruel men, _I thought.

It took a while, since there were so many men. When there were none left standing, I dropped the chains and surveyed the area: no sign of Kagewaki. I returned to where I'd tossed aside the soldier who'd freed my legs last night. "Hey," I growled behind his back while twisting his arm. "Where's your vaunted lord?"

"I d-don't kn-know!" he stammered.

"Wrong answer." I snapped both forearm bones like twigs.

"Augh! W-we were headed that way!" he added, pointing with his free arm before passing out from the pain.

"Thanks." I patted his head, none too gently, and took off in the direction he'd indicated.

xxxxx

I picked up Kagewaki's trail in no time, now that I knew the general direction. He may have been brave when surrounded by loyal soldiers, but now I could smell fear oozing from every pore on his body. It was clear that he had bolted when he saw I had escaped, but ordered his men to stay and fight. Typical human behavior, as I've learned since then.

He fled the battle on horseback, but I found his horse abandoned and foaming at the mouth, its left hind leg snapped in half; bone showed at the break – he'd been driving it way too hard. I ended its suffering and continued tracking the footloose scoundrel, who had abandoned the road and taken to the woods. I've never tracked easier prey: he left perfectly clear footprints and freshly broken branches in his wake. He was even so kind as to leave bits and pieces of his armor scattered along the way in an attempt to gain speed. I half expected to find him butt-naked when I found his clothes torn to shreds on briars.

My guess was not far off. When I finally cornered the coward in a thick bamboo grove, he was wearing only a _fundoshi_ and carrying a naked sword. He spotted me coming, and frantically tried to hack through the tough shoots; I snatched the sword and cracked it in two across my knee.

His last hope of escape gone, Kagewaki turned to another human tradition: faking innocence while begging for his life. He stood and faced me with open palms and wearing the phoniest smile I've ever seen. "What do you want with me, demon? I've done you no wrong!" As I stared in cold silence, the smile changed. "Please… don't hurt me…"

I mirrored his earlier fake smile. Then I pinned him to the ground, my claws poised to rip his throat open. "What… did… you… do… to… my… mother?" I asked him, letting each word sink in.

"I've never done anything to any demon mother, honest!" The smell of something foul joined the smell of fear.

I carefully shifted myself further away from his formerly white _fundoshi_ and rephrased the question: "What did you do to my mother, the woman you captured in the town square?"

"She was a demon?"

"No, you fool, she was more human than you!"

"You're a half-breed!"

"What of it?" I snarled in his face.

"Nothing, nothing!" He gulped and went silent. A series of thin but fresh parallel scratches on his cheek glowed red. 

Mother always told me to never kill a human… she didn't say anything about permanently maiming them. "You get one more chance. What did you do to my mother?" 

Kagewaki declined to answer. Maybe he thought that I was stupid enough to actually let him go.

xxxxx

Several minutes later, an incoherent babble flowed nonstop from his mouth, joining the flood of blood issuing from the same orifice. His teeth were gone, his nose smashed beyond recognition, and his ears stretched to twice their normal size. His pasty torso was well on its way to a lovely shade of violet, his arms hung limp from their sockets, and his legs were in a most admirable lotus position – I had to break both of his knees to do it.

I needed him to be awake for the finale, so I dunked his head in a nearby stream to bring him to full consciousness. "Now, listen, you bastard," I told the pitiful sack of meat, "the only reason I'm _not_ going to kill you is because my mother wouldn't want me to, in spite of all the humiliation and pain you put her through." Oh, yes, I knew _exactly_ what he'd done to her now. The nose knows things the eye can't see. "Don't worry – the pain part's pretty much over with; the humiliation is yet to come!"

With that, I scooped up the hilt of his shattered sword, and pinned him by his _fundoshi_ to a bamboo shoot… fifty feet up. While he bawled as the cloth dug into his groin, I cleared out a good-sized patch around his perch, so his battered army would be sure to see their 'mighty' lord plain as day. My handiwork complete, I left him with a promise that if I should ever happen to hear of him raping another woman, the punishment would be… rather permanent.

And so I ran for home.

For Mother.

xxxxx

I knew exactly where home was, despite being hauled a ways in the wagon, but I was dead tired from tracking Kagewaki down _and_ thrashing his army. I don't even remember lying down to rest – I think I just fell asleep on my feet and collapsed. I didn't reach the town until afternoon the next day, and went around instead of through – I'd had enough of those cowardly humans to last me a good long while.

It was clear that many, many people had been in our little house recently, from the smell of things. I found it odd that there were countless footprints heading out the door, but none headed _in_.

"Mother, I'm home!" I bounded in the door. "Mother?" She didn't answer. I could smell her flowery scent among the mishmash of other human odors, but her scent wasn't as fresh as the others: she wasn't here.

"Probably helping to rebuild down in the village…" I turned to go there myself, when I noticed two notes pinned on the doorframe. One was addressed, "To the Women", and the other was addressed to me.

My stomach growled, so I checked the pantry. All the dried and salted meats were gone; the fresh and pickled vegetables, too. All that remained was some of the dried rice and noodles. I set a pot of water to boil while I scanned over the letter for the women. It explained where they were, and that they had been removed from the village by a magic spell, and that they were safe as long as they didn't leave the house or draw any attention to it. It instructed them to keep an eye out on the town below, and to not return to it until the invading army was long gone, and invited them to eat and drink whatever they needed to survive.

The water began to boil, so I threw in some rice and took it off the fire to cook. I began reading the letter Mother had left for me. I only made it halfway down the page when I ripped it off the nail and ran for the town, the rice entirely forgotten. I finished the letter while I ran:

'_My precious boy, I am sorry that I could not tell you my plans in person, but time is short and I must act quickly. I can only pray that you are safe. I do not know where you are; you know I would risk everything to come and help you if I knew. But I do know what that warlord will do when he captures the town: he will steal the food, conscript the men, abuse the women, and either kill the children and elderly or else leave them to die. I must do whatever I can to prevent this._

'_In short, I will sneak down to the village and rescue as many people as I can using the same teleportation spell I used to save us from the _onis_. In doing so, I will be very weak, and might not make it back myself.'_ – this is where I took off running.

She continued, _'I never explained to you how I know magic. I am not a priestess, but my guardian during childhood, who once was, taught me some minor spells that I was to use in the event of an emergency; this is one of them. I have the directions for the spell hidden in a box beneath the southeast corner of the house, but I do not know whether you can use it._

'_Night has fallen; I must go now and make full use of the moonless sky before more stars appear. If something should happen to me, know that I love you and would give anything to see you again… and know that I will be watching over you, as your father does, from the other world. May you grow up to be even stronger than him – Mother.'_

xxxxx

I dashed into the square and slid to a halt. Signs of the nightmare that had taken place still lingered: splashes of blood, an overturned table on the teahouse's porch… scattered, broken tools. But the people were missing. I was about to search for corpses, afraid that the army had decided to massacre the whole town, when I heard the temple bell clanging. _It's a funeral!_

The whole town had gathered to bury their dead. From the top of the closest house, I watched the procession. There were a few old folks and young boys, but most of the bodies were those of hale and hearty men. It was clear that the conscripted men had revolted and driven the invaders out once they learned the women were safe, courtesy of my mother. _Mother!_ I scanned the crowd for her familiar figure, but had no success. _She must be up front._

I hopped down and joined the back of the crowd; still no luck. I began to edge my way further in, startling everyone I passed. I can understand why; I must have looked a fright, covered in sweat, grime, and splashes of blood. I soon found my way barred by a cluster of men clutching hammers, axes, and pitchforks. "What do you want, half-breed?" the headman demanded from behind the human wall.

"I'm looking for my mother, Izayoi," I announced. "Can you please tell me where she is?"

"We've got nothing to say to you. You took off just when your demon powers might have been useful to us."

"Headman, I tried to warn you that the army was coming!" I shouted. "And you just called me a liar and knocked me out!"

"You did no such thing, you filthy lying half-breed!" The crowd grumbled its agreement with the headman.

"Look, believe whatever you want about me… I just want to know where my mother is."

"Lady Izayoi is our town's hero. She rescued the women and children, enabling us to overthrow the invaders."

"Yeah, I gathered that much," I snapped back, quite irritated now. "So where is she?"

xxxxx

A/N: "Kanji" are Japanese letters/characters. Two different kanji can sound the same when spoken aloud; I don't know if that is the case for the false name Inuyasha wrote down, but the name (literally!) means "Liar, Liar". He he! Sorry, but that was a very dark point in the story – about to get still darker – and I needed a little humor to brighten myself up! A _fundoshi_ is a traditional Japanese loincloth. If you've ever seen pictures of sumo wrestlers, a _fundoshi_ is all they wear in the ring. Again, I apologize if this brings any disturbing mental pictures to mind… I couldn't help but make an Atomic Wedgie part of Kagewaki's punishment. If you ask me, he got off easy.

Normally I don't do cliff-hangers like this… but let's face it, this chapter was already _way_ too long – over 10 pages in Word! I promise that the next chapter will be the very last one!


	7. Stone

Insert Standard Disclaimer here

Insert Standard Disclaimer here

"**Stone"**

"Where is my mother?" Inuyasha tried to make his voice sound big and strong to disguise the panic he dared not show. _I have a horrible feeling about this… Please, someone, tell me where she is!_

"Listen, boy," the headman began.

"My name," he hissed, "is Inuyasha. And I _am_ listening, but you haven't told me anything yet!"

"Inuyasha?" An old woman toddled out of the crowd.

"Old Lady Murakami!" Inuyasha ran to her and knelt down in front of her. "Please, can you tell me where my mother is?"

She reached out a trembling arm and gently laid it on his shoulder, partly to steady herself and partly as a kind gesture. "I'm sorry, young man, but Lady Izayoi… your mother… has passed on."

"You mean… she's dead?" Inuyasha hung his head to hide the impending tears. _I will not cry in front of these cowards!_

"I'm afraid so. It was Kagewaki, that villain!" The widow shook her frail fist at the direction the army had departed. "When your mother saved the rest of the women, he took out his frustrations on her instead."

The headman spoke up. "It took some time to spread the news that the women and children were safe; once all the men knew, we rebelled against Kagewaki and his army and drove them out of town."

_With me chained up in a wagon… _"And my mother?" Inuyasha stood up, but kept his head down.

"It was already too late for her… there was nothing we could do. Her injuries… to be honest, we only knew it was her because of the torn clothing we found in the same room as her body. Some of the women recognized it as the clothes she was wearing when she rescued them."

Inuyasha blinked furiously, realized it was futile, and scrubbed at his face with his sleeve before looking up. "Can I see her?"

"Boy… er, Inuyasha… we thought it would be best to send her body – what Kagewaki left of it – after her spirit as soon as possible. We cremated the remains yesterday."

Inuyasha stood like a statue as the headman droned on. "We didn't know what had become of you…"

_You didn't even look for me, I'll bet. You humans had your own problems… what's a dead woman's only son to you?_

The headman laid his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Inuyasha… I don't think you would have wanted to see your mother like that. I don't think _she_ would have wanted that either."

"And just who gave you the right to decide that for me?" Inuyasha swatted the offending hand away. "She was _my_ mother! I should have…" his voice faltered. _I should have protected her; but I was too damn WEAK! I'd do anything to get rid of my worthless human half._ "Where did you bury her remains?"

"Lady Izayoi's ashes have been buried in a blessed urn in the place of honor up on that hill." The headman indicated the summit.

"Thank you." Inuyasha began to push his way through the crowd towards the grave.

"Where are you going?"

He paused for just a moment. "Away. And I'm taking her with me."

The crowd gasped at this. Removing the remains once buried was unthinkable! The headman held up a restraining hand, worried that any voiced objections might anger the already stewing half-breed.

Inuyasha left the throng behind and trudged up the hill. He wasn't stewing at all: he felt completely numb. His ears twitched, but his mind didn't register the tinkling of bells as the funeral procession continued on its way without him.

_Mother…_

Her grave was easily identified, as it was by far the freshest. A few flowers were strewn on top. Inuyasha knelt down beside the mound of earth. He lightly swept his hand across it, scattering the flowers.

_You don't deserve this. They never really respected you… they only honor you now for saving them. And in twenty years, they won't even remember that._

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. _You can't stay here. We were happy here together, but I don't think you'd want to stay in a place where those men… where that happened to you. I'm sorry, Mother, but I need to take you somewhere… undefiled._ He slowly scraped off layers from the heap of soil until the porcelain urn was revealed. He gently lifted it, brushed off the clinging dirt, and tucked it into the crook of his arm. And he ran.

xxxxx

Many hours later, far away, Inuyasha finally stopped. _This place seems nice. Fitting, even._ He looked up at a towering oak tree. He gazed the opposite way across a broad, pristine valley. He breathed deeply, and smelled only woods and fields. _I know Mother was born a princess… but she never liked being cooped up. She liked working our garden, walking in the meadow, gathering berries in the forest. _He exhaled. _Yes, this place is best._

Bracing the urn against a jutting root of the tree, he quickly dug a new grave with his bare hands, scooping the earth out slowly, handful by handful. It was finally deep enough just before midnight.

By the dim light of the crescent moon, Inuyasha cradled his mother's remains in his arms. "Goodbye, Mother. I'm so sorry… _I love you…_" He placed the urn in the hole and covered it over again. Even as he tamped the dirt down, he began sobbing. The suddenly-orphaned boy curled up against the tree and cried himself to sleep.

xxxxx

When he woke in the morning, Inuyasha didn't feel much better. After a quick breakfast of cherries from a nearby stand of trees, he combed the area for a proper gravestone. It took some time, but he finally found a suitable one. He hauled it back to the grave; trimmed it down; and carved her name into the rough stone with his claws. He set the stone just uphill of her grave and gently laid a clutch of wildflowers before it. _I hope this is what you would have wanted, Mother. I promise I'll visit you. You'll always be a princess to me… maybe this will help remind you of that._ He slipped a hand into his robe and withdrew a small seashell, its two halves clasped together; he hid the shell at the base of the gravestone, whispered a final prayer, and turned to leave, blinking the tears away.

He'd only taken a few steps when every muscle in his body involuntarily tensed. _Someone's watching me!_ He scanned the area, but saw no one. He was about to dismiss the perception as a trick of his mind when a familiar scent tickled his nostrils. _Is that?..._

"Oh, Lady Izayoi…" **HONK!!** "Whatever could have happened? Oh…"

"What are _you_ doing here, Myoga?"

The old flea blew his nose again and dabbed at his watery eyes. He hopped from the gravestone up onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "I came to help the two of you as soon as I heard your town was under attack, but by the time I arrived, the whole thing was already over. I gathered from eavesdropping on the townsfolk that your mother had been killed by the invaders, and that you had taken her remains away; so, I hitched a ride and followed your scent here." He indicated a cat's tail vanishing over a ridge, then dabbed his eyes once more. "Master Inuyasha, what happened?"

Inuyasha folded his arms and resumed his aimless hike. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"But…"

"I _said_, I _don't_ want to talk about it!!"

_I've never seen him so upset before; come to think of it, I've rarely seen him upset at all! Still, he is the Master, so it is my duty as his vassal to obey his wishes._ "Yes, Lord Inuyasha."

Inuyasha walked on in silence for a while, the old flea on his shoulder – each lost in thought about the beautiful and kind woman whose remains now rested in the earth.

"Lord Inuyasha?"

"Mm?"

"Might I inquire where we are headed?"

"Nowhere… _any_where but back there again."

"I see… well then, considering that you are still young, and have no living human relations, perhaps it would be wise to seek out your… er… other half?"

"You mean my demon relatives? Like that Sesshomaru guy?" Izayoi had taken Inuyasha aside and explained more than a few things to him when he turned twelve.

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha."

"Might as well. I got nuthin' else better to do." Before he could take another step, his stomach growled, betraying his true motivation. "Alright, Myoga. Where can I find them?"

A/N: This is the last of the "Mother" stories I plan to write. If you haven't done so yet, please read "A Twist in Time", where these stories are but a brief interlude in a much larger tale.

Thank you for patiently waiting and wading through all six stories. It has been a distinct pleasure.

JediHanyou


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